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Go big or go home. That's the mantra of the HP Envy 17 3D. This large but stylish desktop VGP-BPS9 replacement features an Intel Core i7 processor, powerful ATI graphics, a 3D-capable, full HD display, and a Blu-ray player. Starting at VGP-BPS9/S $1,599 ($1,649 as configured), the 3D version of the notebook costs the same as a similarly equipped non-3D version we reviewed just three months ago. Sounds like a sweet deal. But how does this machine stack up to laptops powered by Nvidia's 3D Vision technology? And is VGP-BPS9/B there enough 3D content to make donning those glasses worth the trouble? Our in-depth review reveals VGP-BPS9A/B all.

At 7.5 pounds, the Envy 17 3D is a reasonable weight for a notebook this size, but you likely won't VGP-BPS13 carry it often (and then, you'll need the AC adapter, as you'll see in the battery section). With a maximum height of 1.5 inches, the Envy 17 3D also VGP-BPS13A/B feels thick, especially compared to Apple's 17-inch MacBook Pro, which is just 0.98 inches

The Envy 17 3D has a chiclet-style keyboard and number pad that stretch across the vgp-bps8 16-inch chassis. On the Ten Thumbs Typing Test, we typed at a fast rate of 94 words per minute, even with little practice on the keyboard. In addition to the vgp-bps13b/q keyboard's backlighting, we like that the keys have a soft finish and make little noise when you type. We also appreciate that you don't have to press the Fn key to access media controls in the function row vgp-bps13a/q of keys.

The Envy 17 3D has a large 4.2 x 2.5-inch touchpad which doubles as a clickable vgp-bps13/b button. Although we've given HP's touchpads much flack in the past for being either jumpy or having too much friction, the Envy 17 3D's was easier to use. vgp-bps13/q Occasionally, the cursor jumped slightly--it's worse for those who use two hands--but for the most part we had little problem moving the cursor to specific spots on the screen. The integrated touch buttons were always easy to VGP-BPS10 press.

Editor's Note: Portions of this review were taken from our earlier pa3535u-1brs review of the HP Envy 17.

The Envy 17 3D shares the same PA3534U-1BRS minimalist-chic design as the smaller Envy 14, including a rock-solid taupe chassis made of aluminum and magnesium. A few touches, such as a paisley-esque pattern of raised bumps on the lid and palm rest and HP's glowing logo on the lid, mark this as a vgp-bps21a premium laptop. Between the machine's durable feel and details such as quiet keys (more on that later), the Envy 17 3D feels like a luxury vgp-bps21/s laptop.

While the Envy 17 we reviewed in September vgp-bps21b stayed relatively cool, we noticed much warmer temperatures on the Envy 17 3D. After playing a Hulu video at full screen for 15 minutes, the touchpad stayed a chilly 84 degrees Fahrenheit, but the space between the G and H keys was a very warm 105 degrees, vgp-bps21 and the middle of the underside was 100 degrees.

The left side of the Envy 17 3D is the real trouble area. We can accept a fan that blows vgp-bps21a/b 120-degree air. But after we played Call of Duty for 10 minutes, the left Shift and Caps Lock keys were a blazing 125 degrees. That's VGP-BPS22A disturbing.

The Envy 17 3D's speakers, which are tucked discreetly onto the front lip of the notebook, are powered by Beats VGP-BPS22 audio technology. When listening to music or playing games, we were impressed with the fidelity and power of the speakers. Not only were sounds crisp and Latitude D420 Battery bright, but there was plenty of low-end bass, too. We liked that you can also tweak equalizer settings using the Beats audio control vgp-bps13s panel

Now that you can use a smart phone as a hotspot, it's natural to wonder why you would carry a dedicated gadget just for vgp-bps13/s that purpose. Novatel's MiFi 2372 makes a pretty good case for the category's staying power. This compact modem ($49 with a two-year contract) not vgp-bps13a/s only lets you share AT&T's 3G data with up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices; you can easily see your signal strength and battery life right in your vgp-bps13as browser, as well as access a handful of widgets and applications powered by Novatel's MiFi OS. Besides, AT&T doesn't offer any smart phones yet with a hotspot app. So how good is the MiFi 2372's speed? And how well do Novatel's apps and widgets work? vgp-bps13b/b Get the full scoop below.

Display and Sound

For the non-3D version of the Envy 17, HP offers a BrightView Infinity display, which vgp-bps13b/s has a 1600 x 900 resolution, standard viewing angles, and a 60-percent color gamut. However, the 3D comes with a higher-res Ultra BrightView Infinity elitebook 8530w battery display, which has 1920 x 1080 full HD resolution, wide viewing angles, a 72-percent color gamut, and a refresh rate of 120Hz. The notebook also packs ATI's Eyefinity multi-display technology, which lets users connect up to three external elitebook 8530p battery monitors, provided one is attached via mini DisplayPort.

When we watched Blu-rays on the Envy 17 3D, we were impressed by the level of detail. elitebook 8540w battery As promised, the display was bright, too, and the colors were true. We were also able to watch movies comfortably from the sides and even elitebook 8730p battery with the lid pushed far forward, but that required us to dim the lights; with the lights on, the display was too reflective to watch at wide angles. We also wish HP included skip buttons on the keyboard; if you want to skip chapters in a DVD or probook 4710s battery Blu-ray, you have to use the touchpad and touch buttons.

With a glossy black front and soft-touch back, the MiFi 2372 is somewhat bulkier than the MiFi probook 4510s battery devices available for Sprint and Verizon. It measures 3.9 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches and weighs 2.9 ounces, compared to 3.5 x 2.3 x 0.4 and 2.1 probook 4410s battery ounces for the earlier EV-DO version. The chrome accents around the sides are nice, but the device feels less sturdy than the Verizon and Sprint MiFis. Plus, we noticed that the AT&T logo started to rub off after a week probook 4515s battery of testing.

MiFi OS

What makes this modem unique is the MiFi OS, which allows you to access a home page vgp-bps10/b for the device (http://attmifi) that displays the battery life and signal strength right up top. Having this information always available is really convenient. This vgp-bps10a/b page also provides access to widgets for seeing how many devices are connected, sending and receiving text messages, and checking your data usage. A weather widget displays the current conditions based on your location (if you have the vgp-bps10a GPS setting enabled), as well as the forecast--but just for two days.

There's even a local search widget, powered by Google, that leverages the MiFi 2372's vgp-bps10/s GPS capability. The MiFi 2732 found our location in New Jersey within a few seconds, and we were able to search for a local Starbucks and then elitebook 6930p battery get directions (though a separate browser window opened at that point). Strangely, refreshing this widget caused it to go blank, and only refreshing the entire page forced it to come back.

The top of the MiFi 2372 houses the power button, and there's a Wi-Fi indicator up front that tells you when the device is elitebook 8730w battery ready to connect. It blinks once you're connected. Unlike the Sprint Overdrive, the 2372 doesn't display the signal strength or battery meter EliteBook 2530P Battery on the hardware itself, though that would add extra bulk. Around back you'll find a microSD card slot for sharing files (more on that below) EliteBook 2730P Battery and a microUSB port for charging.

As with earlier MiFi devices, getting connected to the MiFi 2372 was a cinch. You just turn it on, and then you'll see the hotspot show up in your laptop's (other gadget's) list of wireless networks. Enter the password and off you go. You'll just have to be patient if you're powering the MiFi 2372 on before connecting. The device ProBook 4520S Battery took about 50 seconds to establish a connection from a cold start.

Now that 15-inch notebooks are the new family PCs, you'll want a hub that can do it all: web Inspiron 1440 Battery surfing, word processing, streaming movies, photo and video editing, and, yes, even gaming. The Samsung RF510 ($729 on Amazon) Latitude E6510 Battery answers the call for versatility by combining a Core i5 processor with discrete Nvidia graphics, stylish looks, and a responsive keyboard. But is this 5.6-pound system really good enough to play demanding games 3000 v100 battery or full HD videos?

Design

At 14.9 x 10.1 X 1.5 inches and 5.6 pounds, the RF510 3000 v200 battery is too bulky to carry around all day but light enough to move from the living room to the bedroom and then the kids' room in a flash. It's also noticeably lighter than the Dell XPS 15 (6.1 pounds, 15 x 10.4 x 1.5 3000 n100 battery inches).

Keyboard and Touchpad

The RF510's island-style keyboard sports a numeric 3000 n200 battery keypad and offers solid tactile feedback and a smooth key surface, though it lacks a backlight. We scored our typical rate of 80 words per minute on the Ten Thumbs Typing Test, with a modest 2 percent error 3000 c200 battery rate.

The 3.5 x 2.3-inch touchpad has a pleasant matte surface that allowed us to 3000 y410 battery navigate around the desktop with great accuracy and execute pinch-to-zoom gestures smoothly. The notebook's discrete touchpad buttons offered r51e battery just the right amount of feedback; that's a welcome improvement over the SF510's jerky clickpad.

Heat

The Samsung RF510 stayed pleasantly cool throughout our testing. Even after streaming video at full screen for 15 minutes, r50e battery the keyboard measured a temperate 92 degrees. The touchpad clocked in at a chilly 89 degrees, as did the middle bottom area. Those numbers are excellent, x300 battery because we consider anything below 95 degrees comfortable and anything below 90 degrees imperceptible. By comparison, the bottom of the Dell XPS 15 x200 battery reached a warm 102 degrees.

Though sized like a family PC, the Samsung RF510 has a sleek, black aesthetic that looks equally at home in the laptop battery living room and the conference room. The glossy black lid, which resists most fingerprints, is emblazoned with a chrome Samsung logo Sony Laptop Battery and accented by chrome hinges and chrome lines on the left and right sides. Though we like the ivory design and curved shape of the less expensive Samsung SF510, the RF510's sleek aethetic looks more HP/Compaq Laptop Battery professional.

Once opened, the notebook looks even classier. A comfortable matte black palmrest Dell Laptop Battery sits below an island-style keyboard with tastefully rounded keys and a chrome-colored background. Above the keyboard is a chrome button Lenovo/IBM Laptop Battery area with volume controls, Wi-Fi on/off, and power buttons with sci-fi blue lighting behind them. The subtle speaker holes that run across the entire width of the upper deck add to the high-tech aesthetic. Even the screen bezel has a subtle dotted pattern that matches the speaker holes.